Academic Review, Academic Standing and Exemption by Examination

Related Pages: 
Selection of Courses   |  Attendance, Religous Holidays   |  Academic Honesty   |  Exams, Marks   |  Academic Review, Standing and Exemption by Examination   |    Transfer Credits   |  Repeated Courses, Auditing Courses   |  Leave of Absence, Transcripts

Academic Review
The Committee on Academic Standing reviews all current student records at the end of each semester to determine that all enrolled students are making satisfactory progress toward the degree. Students who earn fewer than 12 credits or less than a 2.00 grade point average in any semester, exclusive of the January Program, are subject to probation or dismissal from the College. Only when there are compelling extenuating circumstances (e.g., illness, unusual personal problems) is it advisable for a student to carry fewer than 12 credits; such a reduced program must be approved by the dean of students. 

A student who is on probation must earn 12 credits and a C (2.00) average in the subsequent semester. The January term will be considered as part of the full year's performance in evaluations made by the committee at the end of the second semester. A student placed on probation in the major must regain or change that major in the subsequent semester (refer to the section Major Requirement in this catalogue).

Students who have been dismissed may, after one year, apply to the committee for reinstatement; during the required interview the student must be prepared to demonstrate an improved commitment to scholarship. A second dismissal is final.

Any student on academic probation is required to consult with his/her advisor and with any extracurricular advisor, such as a coach, to discuss whether the student should continue participation in extracurricular activities. A student on academic probation for a second or subsequent semester will be declared ineligible to participate in any College-sponsored extracurricular activities unless, in consultation with the academic and extracurricular advisors and with the approval of the associate dean of students, the student develops a plan for allocating time to course work and extracurricular activities.

Upon a student's return to the College, his or her records on study programs elsewhere are subject to review and action by the Committee on Academic Standing.

Academic Standing
A student's class standing is determined primarily by the number of full-time semesters completed, but also by credit hours earned.

First-year standing: fewer than two semesters or fewer than 26 credit hours.

Sophomore standing: two or three semesters and 26 to 57 credit hours.

Junior standing: four or five semesters and 58 to 89 credit hours.

Senior standing: six or more semesters and 90 or more credit hours.

Class standing is not automatically changed to a higher level upon the posting of additional credits; students who believe themselves eligible for a change of class year should consult the registrar. 

Exemption by Examination
When appropriate, distribution requirements, as well as certain requirements for the major, may be absolved by examination without course enrollment at the discretion of the department concerned. Matriculated students may earn credit by examination in 100- or 200-level courses to a maximum of 12 hours. Departmental examinations or external examinations approved by the department may be used, with credit given for the equivalent of at least C-level work. The cost of each examination is borne by the student. The College will exempt students from the language requirement for attaining before entrance a score of 64 in an SAT-II Subject Test in a foreign language or for attaining a score of 64 in Colby's placement test during first-year orientation; in either case, no academic credit will be granted.